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I always cover mine with foil when I use them. It makes them last longer. Also I never put them in the dishwasher. If they are already grungy there isnt much you can do except buy new ones & be careful with them.

Answer by
Anonymous
at 12:02 AM on Oct. 19, 2009

I was buying cheeeeeap ones from walmart about every 3-4 months.... then I went all out and bought fancy ones from williams sonoma and the guy said they'd last "forever". well in my house that was last christmas, LOL.....

I have these airbake ones that never seem to stay grungy, I am not sure why. I also have one that is a Wilton that seems to be coated with something and never stays grungy. I also try to wash them immediately after they are done being used to keep them nice and clean.

If they are that bad, there is probably no hope for them at this point. Instead, get some high quality new ones & line them with foil or parchment paper prior to each use. You could also invest in some Silpats, which are the reuseable version of foil & parchment.

If your cookie sheets are heavily coated with burnt on food, they will not bake evenly anymore & you risk burning more foods, not to mention things will stick to them more. If your cookie sheets are too lightweight, foods are more likely to burn on them b/c they won't heat evenly, creating hot spots & causing your foods to stick or burn to the pan. Even with the really good pans, you should still line them with parchment, foil or a Silpat prior to each use to protect them & help them last longer.

I have four Wiltion professional weight cookie sheets & four Silpats to go with them. I've been using the same cookie sheets & Silpat liners for 15 years.

if they're nonstick, then there is just about nothing you can do. i refuse to use nonstick pans of any kind... i have a hand full of half sheet pans that i love, and keep scoured.
if you spend the extra $5 to replace them with aluminum 1/2 sheet pans (a whole sheet will not fit in a regular sized oven), which you can get just about anywhere now, they'll brighten right up with a little steel wool when necessary. i am completely OCD about grungy pans, they do not bake evenly.

like PP said, cover them with aluminum foil if you don't feel like scrubbing.